Thursday, March 29, 2012

Nothing like packing your ball club off to Japan to play its first two regular season games while the Cactus League is still in session to provide maximum season opening buzz kill. The A’s split two with the Seattle Mariners in Tokyo, including last night’s (or whatever time it was over there) 4-1 win in which rookie centerfielder and Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes hit his first big league home run.

Add: Now it’s back to the Bay Area for four exhibition games before the real season “re-starts” against the same Mariners April 6 at the Coliseum.